Book II - Chapter IX: The Haunting of Trollskull Manor

[uberwulfx]

"Oh, stop pouting." Crystal wrapped her arm around Rey's bicep. "You can have a place to be surly all to yourself in the attic or basement, in between killing blood cultists."

Crystal nodded to Cerys. "We have a house! Finally, Mouse and all the others can come in here without being terrified. Had he not-- y'know, totally just faded away, I'd make sure Lif had a room. Maybe we could honor him with a portrait and plaque, because he did a lot in damage control." Crystal frowned. "...Maybe that attic has an intact picture of him we can hang over the fireplace. Now that this place isn't on spiritual fire, we need to look through the nooks and crannies and see what's what. We need to be sure there aren't any more surprises for us, at the very least.

[CautionCat]

(Reaction)

"According to this, we do. I am sure we just need to go to wherever the town hall is, and claim it." Vincent smiled, handing the papers to Cerys so she can get a better look. He nodded to Crystal as she spoke.

[Kyt]

Rey blinked at Crystal taking her arm, scowling further.

"Are you always so clingy?" She muttered, crossing her arms tighter and hunching in. "Besides, I'd take a ground floor, maybe one up. Attics and basements are terrible for getting out of quickly."

[opius]

Jinn planted his hands on his hips. "Alright, lookin' like we have a few different irons in the fire. I'm still feelin' pretty hale and healthy. I can head to town hall with whoever else- we can bang that out right quick and still have plenty of daylight. Vinny, you still need those smudge sticks, or are we, ah... Square, when it comes to spooks? And another thing..." He glanced around and scratched his chin.

"...This place is gonna need a lot of work. Gonna need friends in this town if we wanna get this place livable. Maybe some of the folks we met with tenpenny have some favors they can throw our way- I mean, we did pull 'em through the nighthaunt after all." He dusted himself and prepared to move, moseying toward the door.

"Day's still young. Whaddya say we walk and talk it out, maybe split up once we got a better idea of it?"

[CautionCat]

Vincent gently shook his head. "No need for smudge sticks, not if we got rid of what was haunting the place. I say we go to town hall, get this sorted, and then head out to investigate some more. We still got work to do."

[Ancelas]

As Nat's gang reunited and began to chatter excitedly about the harrowing adventure inside the Manor, the Lucky Hand did one final sweep of the building, confirming that the evil that had haunted the place was indeed banished for good. The peeling walls, the rotting wood, the bricks sealing the windows... they were all gone, as though they had never been. All that remained was a dusty, cobwebbed abandoned building in relatively good repair. The heat that had accompanied the hag shadow and the chill of Lif's presence were likewise gone. The old manor was just another building sagging under the weight of Wachovia's rains once more.

Once the party had confirmed that the environs were safe, the Trollskull Urchins were eager to explore, against Nat's better judgment. The older girl was still wary of the place, letting the others do the talking more than usual, while Mouse seemed unbothered by their shared experience; the boy seemed to actually have gained some confidence in the wake of facing down the shadows of the manor.

With the deed in hand, no one would be able to force a claim on the manor. It was the Lucky Hand's, for as long as they desired it. A place that they had fought and bled for, where they had chased away the darkness with the light they brought with them.

The storm continued beyond its walls, but for now, the Lucky Hand had a bulwark to shelter them until it passed - or until they went out to challenge it themselves.